This invention relates to room ventilation systems. In particular, it relates to a wall or ceiling-mounted outlet to exhaust air from a room in a building, such as a bathroom or toilet room, through a central vacuum system.
Room ventilation systems are known. Bathrooms in particular have switch-activated fans and ceiling-mounted outlets that remove air from bathrooms. The ventilation of bathrooms is particularly appropriate to remove odours and moisture.
This application concerns a new arrangement for ventilating a room, such as a bathroom. This invention also relies, in another aspect, upon the use of a central vacuum system as an exhaust means.
A prior art patent U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,437 issued to McEwen provides a ventilation outlet as part of a toilet paper system. However, the outlet is directly connected to a standard ventilator fan without provision for any local closure of the outlet when not in use.
A central vacuum system involves the installation of suction conduits throughout a house. These conduits terminate in multiple outlets that are individually sealed until accessed to take advantage of the suction created by the system to effect household cleaning.
A prior U.S. patent to Cavallero, U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,394 proposes to use a central vacuum system to evacuate odours from rooms, as well as smoke. In such applications, all vacuum outlets except the one in use must be kept closed to maintain suction at the active outlet. Cavallero acknowledges this, including the requirement for closing exhaust registers when vacuum inlets are to be employed. However, Cavellero does not address specific mechanisms to achieve this result.
The present invention addresses these background structures to propose a new combination that provides new and useful benefits for household room ventilation.
The invention in its general form will first be described, and then its implementation in terms of specific embodiments will be detailed with reference to the drawings following hereafter. These embodiments are intended to demonstrate the principle of the invention, and the manner of its implementation. The invention in its broadest and more specific forms will then be further described, and defined, in each of the individual claims which conclude this Specification.
According to one aspect of the invention an air outlet to exhaust air from a room through an exhaust system is provided. Preferably the exhaust outlet is a suction inlet which is mounted at any location within a room, such as a bathroom, and is coupled through a conduit to a central vacuum system as a suction source and air evacuation means. A switch means is provided to activate the central vacuum suction source and thereby effect exhaustion of air from the room through connecting conduits. A grill may be mounted over the suction inlet to screen and diffuse the air flow being sucked into the conduit.
The suction source is electrically activated by a switch that preferably is accessible to a person present in the room. Preferably, the switch is carried by the same housing which carries the exhaust outlet of the invention. A conduit, preferably concealed within walls, connects the exhaust outlet/suction inlet, to the suction source located at a remote location. Activation of the switch draws air from the room being ventilated to the suction source, whereafter the air is ejected by the suction source either to the outside environment or into a remote room, such as a household basement.
In the case of a central vacuum system, multiple wall-mounted room suction inlets are generally provided, each with their own closure. Failure to effect closure of unused suction inlets will result in loss of suction intensity at a used suction inlet. To adapt the room air exhaust outlet described above to a central vacuum system, a conduit closure means or valve is provided. This valve is carried by the housing for the suction inlet. Until this valve is opened, the suction inlet of the invention is sealed. This maintains the viability of the central vacuum system. It is a preferred feature of the invention that activation of a common control lever serves to both mechanically open the conduit valve and electrically activate the suction source. The conduit may be closed, in one embodiment, by passing a valve plate transversely across the air flow path and conduit access opening. Optionally, the lever may operate the conduit valve through a solenoid.
The foregoing summarizes the principal features of the invention and some of its optional aspects. The invention may be further understood by the description of the preferred embodiments, in conjunction with the drawings, which now follow.